Mechanical toy.



Patented Mo. 23, I902.

G. S. GALLAGHER.

MECHANICAL TOY.

Application filed Mar. 19, 1902.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

No. 7I6,63l. Patented Dec. 23, I902. e.,s. GALLAGHER.

MECHANICAL'TDYI.

(Application filed Mar. 19, 1902.) (N0 'M odel.)

,2 Sho'ets-$heat 2.

rrnn STAT S PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE S. GALLAGHER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MECHANICAL TOY.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. '71 6,631, dated December 23, 1902.

Application filed March 19, 1902. Serial No. 98,883. (No model.)

To all 1072,0711. it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE S. GALLAGHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county,

and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Mechanical Toys, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is designed for the amusement of several persons in causing the num- IO bers, characters, or designs that will appear at suitably-arranged openings when a drum carrying said numbers, characters, or other designs stops at the end of a rotation imparted thereto. I provide a conoidal drum, vertically placed, provided with a suitable spindle and bearings therefor, and upon the surface of which are the numbers, characters, or designs. I also provide a series of radiallyplaced spring-actuated levers and rack-bars,

a central pinion actuated thereby, and a ratchetand-pawl device for rotating the drum. A conoidal shell covers the drum and is provided with apertures through which the numbers, characters, or designs are visible,

and there is a ratchet-and-pawl device for stopping the rotation of the drum at predetermined places with the cessation of the momentum attained by the drum in its revolution.

The device of my invention is particularly adapted for the amusement of a coterie of friends who smoke, and with that end in view I preferably provide the toy with a receptacle both for matches and for ashes and a bell to 3 5 call an attendant to bring cigars.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan representing my improvement. Fig. 2 is a vertical central section. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the conoidal drum. Fig. at is a plan of the conoidal shell having apertures. Fig. 5 is a section through a receptacle for matches. Fig. 6 is a plan of the drum-actuating mechanism at the center of the mechanical toy. Fig. 7 is a plan of the under surface of the drum, and Fig. Sis a partial elevation and vertical section representing the pawl device shown in Fig. 6 and the means for actuating the same. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are of exaggerated size for clearness.

arepresents the circular base of the mechanical toy, which is preferably of wood, and l) a circular sheet-metal case, advantageously of two parts connected together by brackets secured to the one part and having screws passing through the other part into the base a.

0 represents series of bell-crank levers radially placed and moving in slots in the circular sheet-metal case I). These levers c are pivoted to series of posts 2, supported upon the lower portion of the case.

I provide radially=placed rack-bars d and series of guide-brackets 3 4, supporting the same and through which the said rack-bars move, and one or more springs d may be employed around the rack-bars and between a pin passed through the same near the outer end and the surface of the guide-brackets 3, so as to return the said rack-bars to a normal position after they have been moved by the bell-crank levers c.

A pinion 5, carrying a disk 6, is revolubly mounted upon a suitable fixed arbor t', and from Fig. 6 it will be noticed that the ends of the bars d bear upon opposite surfaces of the said pinion, and from Fig. 2 that one pair of said rack-bars is at a slightly-higher level than the other pair, thus providing for the engaging of all the rack-bars d with and about the pinion 5. The disk 6 above the rack-bar carries a pawl 7, pivoted thereto and shown especially in Fig. 8, and a spring 8, secured at one end to one of the guide-brackets 4, comes against a projection upon the under side of the pawl 7 in the revolution ofthe disk 6, so as to throw the pawl up and cause the same to engage a circular ratchet-plate 10, hereinafter described.

6 represents a hollow conoidal drum carrying numbers, characters, or designs upon the surface thereof. This drum is provided with a shaft 9 in suitable bearings in the arbor 11 and at the upper end. At opposite ends of said drum I provide circular ratchet-plates 10 and 11, secured in place by screws to the respective ends of the drum, the said ratchetplate 10 being engaged periodically by the pawl 7 of the disk 6. v

I provide a conoidal shell f, fitting over the conoidal drum 6 and having a series of apertures 13, agreeing in number and in radial location with the bell-crank levers c, and I arrange the numbers, characters, or designs upon the surface of the drum e, so that when ever said drum stops in its rotation similar numbers, characters, or designs appear at all the openings. This shellfis supported at the center of the circular sheet-metal case by one or more standards 14, secured to the case and base a. ries a spring-pawl 12, secured thereto and which passes down through an opening therein to engage the circular ratchet-plate 11 upon the top of the conoidal drum 6. I prefer to employ a bracket 15, secured to the topf of the conoidal shell and which bracket supports a gong 16, the device being provided with a stem 17 and hammer 18, actuated by hand to sound the gong.

Upon the upper surface of the circular sheet-metal case Z) I prefer to provide matchholders 9 of sheet metal and of such form as is adapted to hold boxes of matches, and at opposite points thereto ash-receptacles h of saucer form, secured to the top of the circular sheet-metal case.

As shown in Fig. 5, I prefer to form the match-holders with a slideway 20 and sides 21 with overturned upper edges, in which is received a shell' or box 22, having a stop 23 for the paper box 24, holding the matches; but I do not limit myself to the construction of the match-holders or of the ash-receptacles, as the same constitute no essential part of my invention.

In the operation of the mechanical toy the person places a finger upon the finger-button 19 of a bell-crank lever c, forces the lever down, and in so doing moves a radially-placed rack-bar d longitudinally in the guide-brackets 3 at against the action of a spring (1. This movement effects the rotation of the pinion 5 and disk 6, and in this rotation the spring 8 throws up the pawl 7, causing the same to engage the ratchet-plate 10 on the under surface of the conoidal drum e, imparting thereto a quick rotation in proportion to the force applied to the bell-crank lever c and rack-bar d. The moment the pressure upon the bellcrank lever c is released the spring d returns the rack-bar and bell-crank lever to a normal position, and the conoidal drum 6 continues a free and uninterrupted rotation until its momentum is substantially expended, at which time it is arrested by the spring pawl 12, having sufficient force to hold the conoidal drum in one of the notches of the ratchet-plate 11. drum arrested similar numbers, characters, or designs appear at the openings 13, to be seen not only by the party who has caused the rotation of the drum, but by others who are sitting around the toy. It will thus be seen that considerable amusement may be had by guessing a .number, character, or design, spinning the conoidal drum and awaiting the cessation of its movement to see what number, character, or design will actually appear at the openings.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a mechanical toy, the combination with a base and sheet-metal case, of a conoidal The top f of the conoidal shell car-.

With the movement of the drum and pivotal bearings therefor, upon the surface of which drum are numbers, characters or designs, a conical shell covering the drum and having a visual opening therein, a hand-operated bent lever, and devices suboperated thereby for imparting a rotary impulse to the said drum, substantially as set forth.

2. In a mechanical toy, the combination with a base and sheet-metal case, of a conoidal drum. and pivotal bearings therefor, upon the surface of which drum are numbers, characters or designs, a conical shell covering the drum and having a visual opening therein, a hand-operated bent lever, a spring-actuated radially-placed rack-bar, a pinion engaged thereby, a pawl device carried by the pinion and a circular ratchet-plate on the under surface of the said drum engaged by the pinion for imparting a rotary motion to the drum, substantially as set forth.

3. In a mechanical toy, the combination with a base and sheet-metal case, of a conoidal drum and pivotal bearings therefor, upon the surface of which drum are numbers, characters or designs, a conical shell covering the drum and having a visual opening therein, a hand-operated bent lever, devices substantially as herein shown and described and operated thereby for imparting a rotary impulse to the said drum, and devices acting at the upper end of the drum for arresting the rotation thereof at predetermined points, substantially as set forth.

4. In a mechanical toy, the combination with a base and a circular sheet-metal case, of a conoidal drum and pivot-bearings therefor in the center of the case, said drum having arranged on the surface thereof numbers, characters or designs, a conoidal shell surrounding said drum and having therein apertures for visually indicating the numbers, characters or designs upon the surface of the drum, a support for said shell, a series of bellcrank levers at equidistant points extending partially within and partially without the circular sheet-metal case,pivotal supports there for, a series of radially-placed devices, and means actuated thereby for imparting a rotary movement to said conoidal drum, substantially as set forth.

5. In a mechanical toy, the combination with a base and a circular sheet-metal case, of a conoidal drum and pivot-bearings there'- for in the center of the case, said drum having arranged on the surface thereof numbers, characters or designs, a conoidal shell surrounding said drum and having therein apertures for visually indicating the numbers, characters or designs upon the surface of the drum, a support for said shell, a series of bellcrank levers at equidistant points extending partially within and partially without the circular sheet-metal case,pivotal supports therefor,a series of spring-actuated radially-placed rack-bars and guide-brackets therefor, a censtantially as herein shown and described and IIO tral pinion engaged by all of said rack-bars, a disk carried by said pinion and a pawl device pivoted thereto, and a circular ratchetplate connected to the under surface of the conoidal drum and forcefully engaged by said pawl to impart a rotary movement to said drum, substantially as set forth.

6. In a mechanical toy, the combination with a base and a circular sheet-metal case, of a conoidal drum and pivot-bearings therefor in the center of the case, said drum having arranged on the surface thereof numbers, characters or designs, a conoidal shell surrounding said drum and having therein apertures for visually indicating the numbers, characters or designs upon the surface of the drum, a support for said shell, a series of bell-crank levers at equidistant points extending partially within and partially Without the circular sheet-metal case, pivotal supports therefor,a series of sprin g-actuated radially-placed rack-bars and guide-brackets therefor, a central pinion engaged by all of said rack-bars, a disk carried by said pinion and a pawl device pivoted thereto, a circular ratchet-plate connected to the under surface of the conoidal drum and forcefully engaged by said pawl to impart a rotary movement to said drum, a circular ratchet-plate secured to-the upper end of said drum, and a spring-pawl carried by the conoidal shell passing through an aperture therein and engaging the latter circular ratchet-plate to arrest the movement of the drum at predetermined points as its momentum is about expended, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 15th day of March, 1902.

G. S. GALLAGHER.

WVitnesses:

Gno. T. PINCKNEY, S. T. HAVILAND. 

